THE city and district came alive on Friday evening as crowds flocked to cultural and heritage venues in celebration of culture, heritage and the arts for Derry~Strabane Culture Night 2016.
The varied programme of free family events attracted a steady stream of visitors to the city from early evening, keen to experience the creative cultural events on offer.
The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Hilary McClintock thanked everyone who made the evening a success, she said:
“I was delighted to see the numbers of people who attended this year’s Culture Night celebrations throughout the city and district.
“Many of our museums, culture and heritage venues remained open until late to mark the celebration, with free tours and talks throughout the evening and musical entertainment provided by artists such as the Nerve Centre’s SYNC programme stars and the amazing Encore choir.
“It was also a fitting time and my honour, as we celebrated our culture on Friday evening, to accept the two State Swords now rededicated to the new Council at a special ceremony in St. Columb’s Cathedral.
“I spoke with many people throughout the evening, of all ages, who had a wonderful experience enjoying our culture and heritage in the different venues.
“I hope that it will encourage more people to check out what’s on offer in our theatres, museums and other venues during the rest of the year and enjoy what we often take for granted – the culture we have right on our doorstep.
‘Well done to everyone involved. I would really like to thank the participating venues and groups who provided the events, making the programme possible.’
Over forty arts and cultural venues including museums, galleries, cathedrals, studios and libraries opened their doors to the public, free of charge to celebrate the Derry~Strabane Culture Night 2016.
Now in its 11th year, Culture Night has become one the highlights of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s events calendar.
This year’s programme was packed full of dance, music, song, film, art, digital events and a series of talks and tours in some of the most historic cultural buildings of the city and district.
Further details on the event are available at www.derrystrabane.com.
